Receptacle handling apparatus



June 21, 1949. L H.- KENDALL RECEPTACLE HANDLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 14, 1943 lllkl June 21, 1949. l. H. KENDALL 2,473,955

' RECEPTACLE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Au 14, 1943 s Sheets-Sheet 2 June 21, 1949. H, KENDALL RECEPTACLE- HANDLING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 14, 1943 INVENTOR. Kendall ywm Patented June 21, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECEPTACLE HANDLING APPARATUS Ira H. Kendall, Potsdam, N. Y., asslgnor to Cherry-Burrell Corporation, Wilmington,Del.,

a corporation 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for handling receptacles, such as milk cans. More particularly, this invention relates to apparatus, such as milk can washing machinery. The invention specifically relates to apparatus for uprighting inverted milk cans and discharging them from a, milk can washer.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide simple, compact and efficient mechanisms for rapidly, gently and with comparatively little noise uprightin and discharging milk cans from a milk can washer. The operating parts of the improved inverter are of inexpensive design and are so arranged as to invert cans and discharge the same without any appreciable lost motion and without any damage to the cans. Other specific objects and advantages will appear later herein.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will become more apparent and be better understood upon a review of the following description of the invention when read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the invention in a can washing machine.

Figure 2 is a plan view taken along line 2--2 of Figure 1 with some of the cans removed from the device.

Figure 3 is a side elevational View of the preferred embodiment of the invention,'i1lustrating primarily the can inverting and discharging cradles in operative position.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals are used to identify like elements, It] represents the framework generally for a can washer. This framework consists of the conventional vertical and horizontal structural steel members suitably arranged transversely and longitudinally of the machine and secured together by any suitable means, such as by welding, and fixed to a base I I so as to provide the necessary support for the operating parts of the device. A can supply conveyor comprised of support skids I2 having inclined forward ends I 3 and reciprocating can moving dog bars I4 having pivoted dogs I5 is provided upon the frame I0 and leads from the washing compartment (not shown) of the can washer to the can inverter A in the conventional manner.

The can invertin cradle A is adapted to receive inverted cans in tilted position and rotate them through an angle of approximately 120 degrees to substantially upright the cans in that manner. The inverter A consists of two opposed parallel plate members l5 substantially triangular in 55 shape and fixedly mounted and supported in spaced relation upon a transverse rotary shaft IT. The shaft I I is supported in the conventional manner in suitable bearings (not shown) on the frame Ill above the level and forwardly of the skids I2 and in such aposition, with respect to the ends of the skids I2, that'the path of rotation of the plates I6 lies immediately adjacent the inclined ends I3.of the skids I2.

The plates I'B of the inverting cradle A are spaced apart sufiiciently so as to prevent the lateral motion of the cans which have been delivered to the inverter. Such lateral motion is prevented by the edges of the plates I6 overlapping a portion of a can when supported upon the plates, as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings. Each of the ends of the three edges of each of the plates I6 is provided with outwardly extending projections I8. The projections I8 are spaced apart lengthwise oi the edges of the plates slightly in excess of the overall height of the can or object to be handled by the inverting cradle A.

The combination of the two parallel adjacent edges of the plates HS and the associated projections I8 at each end of each of such edges constitutes a can or object holder. The can inverter A is provided with three such can holders as just described, each holder being spaced approximately 120 degrees from an adjacent holder. To enable the satisfactory handling of cans equipped with handles or other outward projections close to the bell or upper extremity of the body of the can, each of the edges of the plates I6 is cut away as at I9 to provide the necessary clearance or room for such projections.

The shaft I 1 upon which the inverter A is mounted is rotated clockwise, as viewed in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, by means of a gear 20 fixed to the shaft I]. The gear 20 in turn is driven by the idler gear 2| suitably mounted upon the framework I0 and the gear 2| in turn is driven by a pinion 22. The pinion 22 is keyed to the main drive shaft 23. The shaft '23 supports and is driven by the main driving gear 24 which in turn is powered from any suitable source, such, for example, as an electric motor and gear reducer 25.

vAn unloading and discharge cradle B for unloading and discharging substantially uprighted cans from the inverting cradle consists of two opposed, parallel, substantially triangular plate members .26 fixedly supported upon the rotary transversely extending shaft 2'1. The plates 26 are spaced apart slightly 'in excess of the trans verse spacing of the plates l5 and outwardly overlap a portion of the plates it, as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The shaft 2'! is positioned below the level of the skids l2 and forwardly of the shaft 1'? and rotated in a clockwise direction by a gear 28. The gear 28 in turn is driven by the idler gear 23. Gear 23 in turn is driven by agear 30 supported upon and fixed tothe inverter cradle shaft ii.

The substantially triangular plates 23 of the unloading and discharge cradle B are each provided along each face thereof with a can receiving indentation 3!. The indentations3l'are of such a configuration and proportion, as clearly 'lustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings, as to receive the lower portion of a can from the inverting cradle in such a manner as to engage the bottom and side of the can when the can been substantially uprighted.

The unloading and discharge cradle B rotates in a clockwise direction and at the same number of revolutions per minute as does the inverting cradle A. Upon the receiving of a substantially uprighted can by the unloading and discharge cradle B from the inverting cradle A, the weight of the can is immediately transferred to the unloading and discharge cradle B. Due to the relative motion in opposite directions of the overlapping portions of the inverting cradle A and the unloading and discharge cradle B, the can received by the unloading and discharge cradle is promptly moved away from the path of rotation of the elements of the inverting cradle. This is accomplished by the engagement with the side of the substantially uprighted can of a pair of the rollers 32 pivotally secured to opposed corners of each of the plate members 25. The unloading and discharge cradle B deposits the uprighted can upon the discharge f skids 33 of the can washer. The can is moved forwardly by the rollers 32 upon the discharge skids 33 until the can has been moved out of the path of rotation of the rollers 32.

To remove the uprighted cans from the skids 33 there are provided dogs 34 pivoted in the conventional manner to the bell crank lever 35 which is pivoted to the frame 53 at 33. The dogs 3d are arranged intermediate the skids 33 and are adapted to engage the rear edge of a can deposited upon the skids by the cradle B and move the can forwardly from the discharge end of the can washer onto the discharge conveyor rollers 3'1. The bell crank lever 35 is actuated through the associated bell crank lever 38 which turn is actuated by a link 39 pivoted thereto in the conventional manner. Link 33 is actuated by the bell crank lever ill swiveled thereto and pivoted at M. Lever =23 in turn is actuated by the associated bell crank lever 42. Lever 32 in turn is swiveled to and actuated by a link #23. Link i3 is driven by the crank M keyed to the main drive shaft 23.

The angular arrangement of the crank M upon the drive shaft 23 is such as to effect the desired timing in the motion between the can inverting cradle A, can unloading cradle B and the can moving dogs 3 The reciprocation of the dog bars it is also timed with the rotation of the can inverting cradles through the driving linkage 35 which is swiveled to the dog bars Hi and to a drivin pin 33 on the main driving gear In the upper portion of the framework Id of the can washer there is provided a can cover conveyor of the conventional design having the necessary can cover moving elements (not shown) which are adapted to move the can covers through the can washer in timed relation with an associated can, all in the conventional manner. The can covers are discharged from the can cover conveyor through the cover chute ll from which they are dropped into the open mouth of an uprighted can at the can discharge station immediately before the can is moved forwardly onto the discharge conveyor 31 by the dogs 34 and while the can is resting on the discharge skids 33.

To guide the can covers into the mouths of the cans there is provided a cover guide 48 pivoted to the end of the cover chute M at 43. To actuate the cover guide 48 so as to lower the guide at when a cover is being discharged or dropped into the mouth of a can and to raise the guide so as to permit the can and applied cover to be moved along the skids 33 onto the conveyor 3?, the cover guide 48 is rocked on the pivots t9 by means of the lever 53. Lever 53 is attached to the pivot 49 and rocked by the linkage 5| through a conventional swivel arrangement between the levers 5E) and El. The lever 5| in turn is actuated through bell crank lever 32 pivoted at M and associated with the bell crank lever 32. r

In the operation of the improved can inverter or uprighter inverted cans are supplied by the reciprocating dog bars I l along the skids 3. The can is moved forwardly along the skids l2 until it tilts over the ends thereof onto the inclined plate l3 of the skids and falls into the waiting holder of the can inverting cradle A. The rotary motion of the can inverting cradle A has been so timed that a holder of the inverting cradle is in the receiving position, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, at the time the can is tilted over the inclined plate [3 at the ends of the skid bars l2. The inverting cradle A then rotates the can through the upper cycle of its motion from the loading station at the ends of the skid bars IE to the unloading station adjacent the discharge conveyor skids 33.

At the unloading station the can in a holder of the inverting cradle A is in substantially upright position. As the rotation of the inverting cradle continues, the can is removed from the inverting cradle by the engagement of the bottom and the side of the can with the faces of the indentations 3! in the plates 26 of the discharge cradle B and with the rollers 32 fixed to the corners of the plates 26 of the discharge cradle.

The substantiall uprighted can thus received and discharged from the inverting cradle A is moved slightly upwardly and forwardly and then downwardly and forwardly by the rotation of the unloading and discharge cradle B and then deposited upon the skids 33. The can is moved along the skids 33 by the rollers 32 until the can is out of the path of motion of the rollers 32. While in that position the can is in can cover receiving position and a cover is dischargedthrough the chute 4? into the mouth of the can. To provide room on the discharge skids 33 for thenext uprighted can the dogs 34 supported by lever 53 engage the rear edge of the chime of the uprighted can and move it forwardly along the skids 33 onto the dischargevconveyor 31 immediately ahead of the next uprighted can to be discharged onto the skids 33 by the discharge and unloading cradle B.

As clearly illustrated .in the drawing of Figure 1, the motion of the inverting cradle and of the discharge cradle is continuous and rotary. The cans are supplied to the loading station of the inverting cradle A by the reciprocating dog bars i4 and are moved intermittently onto the discharge conveyor 3'! by the discharge dogs 34. The motion of the dog bars M, the dogs 34, the inverting cradle A, the discharge cradle B and the cover guide is all synchronized and driven through appropriate gearing and linkages from the single drive shaft 23.

As will be apparent from th foregoing description, the instant invention provides an inexpensive, simple and efficient can inverter or uprighter. Although the invention has been pri-- marily described with respect to the preferred embodiment thereof incorporated in a can washing machine, various modifications of th improved inverting or can handling device within the scope of the invention will be evident to those skilled in the art upon a review of the foregoing description and the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. An object inverting device comprising, in combination, a rotatable cradle member for inverting objects, means for rotating said cradle member through an arc of 360 degrees about a single axis, said rotatable cradle member being rotatable through a cycle of loading and unloading stations, said cradle member being provided with object holding means, object supply means for supplying objects for inversion to the holding means of said cradle, and a rotatable receiving and unloading means adapted to rotate through an arc of 360 degrees about a single axis for receiving and unloading inverted objects from said cradle, means for rotating said rotatable receiving and unloading means, said rotatable cradle, object supply means and receiving and unloading means being operable in synchronism.

2. In a can washing machine having a runway along which cans are advanced in an inverted position, a rotatable can uprighter for uprighting said cans, said uprighter having a plurality of can holders, rotating means for rotating said uprighter to move each of said holders in succession first to a position to receive an inverted can from said runway and thereafter to a position at which the can is discharged in substantially upright position from said uprighter which rotates about a single axis through an arc of 360 degrees, rotatable discharge means adapted to rotate about a single axis through an arc of 360 degrees for discharging cans from said uprighter, means for rotating said discharge means, and means upon which said discharged cans are deposited by said discharge means in an upright position, said uprighter and said rotatable discharge means being rotatable in synchronism.

3. An object inverter comprising, in combination, a rotatable object inverting cradle having a plurality of object holding means, means for rotating said cradle through a cycle of loading and unloading stations, a rotatable discharge cradle, means for rotating said discharge cradle in synchronism with said inverting cradle, said discharge cradle having a plurality of object receiving means for receiving and discharging inverted objects from said inverting cradle, said rotatable object inverting cradle and said rotatable discharge cradle each being rotatable through arcs of 360 degrees.

4. In a can washing machine having a runway alon which cans are advanced in an inverted position, a rotatable can uprighting cradle for uprighting cans and having a plurality of can holders, said cradle being rotatable through an arc of 360 degrees about a single axis to move each of said holders in sequence through a cycle of can loading and unloading stations, each said holder occupying an inclined position when in readiness to receive an inverted can whereby to enable an inverted can to move off said runway and tip forwardly by gravity into a holder of said cradle, and a rotatable can discharge means rotatable about a single aXis through an arc of 360 degrees and rotated in synchronism with the rotation of said cradle for receiving substantially uprighted cans and discharging them from the holders of said cradle and depositing them in upright position at a discharge station, and means for rotating said uprighter and said discharge means.

5. In a can washing machine having a can supply runway and a can discharge runway, a rotatable can uprighting cradle for uprighting inverted cans and having a plurality of can holders, said cradle being rotatable about a single axis through an arc of 360 degrees to move each holder in sequence through a cycle of can loading and can unloading stations, each said holder occupying an inclined position when in readiness to receive an inverted can whereby to enable an inverted can to move off said supply runway and tip forwardly by gravity into a holder of said cradle, a rotatable can discharge means rotatable about a single axis through an arc of 360 degrees in synchronism with the rotation of said cradle for receiving and discharging substantially uprighted cans from said cradle and depositing them in upright position upon said discharge runway, means for moving said uprighted cans along said discharge runway, and means for rotating said uprighter and said discharge means.

6. In a receptacle handling apparatus a rotatable receptacle inverter having three receptacle holders, each said holder being spaced from adjacent holders thereof, supply means for delivering receptacles into a holder of said inverter, a discharge conveyor for discharging receptacles from said apparatus, a rotatable receptacle receiver and discharger for receiving and discharging receptacles from said inverter and for depositing received receptacles upon said discharge conveyor, said receptacle receiver partially overlapping said inverter and having three receptacle holders each spaced 120 from an adjacent holder thereof, means for continuously rotating said inverter and said receptacle receiver and for actuating said supply means and said conveyor so as to supply an inverted receptacle to a holder of said inverter, whereupon the said inverter substantially uprights the receptacle before the receiver receives the receptacle and discharges the receptacle from the inverter and deposits it upon the discharge conveyor.

7. In a receptacle handling apparatus a receptacle uprighter mounted for rotation upon a shaft, said uprighter consisting of two opposite plate-like members substantially triangular in shape and having receptacle engaging elements extending laterally from each side and each corner, a receptacle receiver and discharger partially overlapping said uprighter and mounted for rotation upon a shaft, said receiver and discharger consisting of two opposite plate-like members substantially triangular in shape and having bifurcated edges to provide receptacle engaging means, and means for rotating said uprighter and said receiver in timed relation in such a manner that said receiver may receive a receptacle from said uprighter, the plates of said UNITED STATES PATENTS uprighter and the plates of said receiver being spaced apart sufiiciently so as to partially overgfii gj ig lap a receptacle being handled by said uprighter 2085936 Wolf July 1937 and Sam recever- 5 2,133,044 Rufus Oct. 11, 1933 IRA H. KENDALL. REFERENCES CITED FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date i gg gf f i are m the 10 364,735 Great Britain Jan. 14, 1932 

